Page 40 of The Blood Moon Oath

“You don’t understand what’s at stake,” I growl, the words slipping out harsher than I intend. “This isn’t just about you, Sable. It’s about all of us. Rothgar isn’t some ordinary enemy. If we don’t win, everything we’ve built—everything we’ve fought for—will burn.”

“And that’s supposed to be my problem why?” she fires back, stepping closer, her chin tilted defiantly. “I didn’t ask to be part of this, Kael. I didn’t ask to be bound to you or your brothers. I didn’t ask for any of it.”

“And yet here you are,” I snap, the tension between us crackling like lightning. “Whether you like it or not, you’re part of this now. And if you think I’m going to let you go after everything we’ve done to keep you safe, you’re delusional.”

Her laugh is sharp and bitter. “Safe? You call this safe? Being locked up, bound to a warlock who can’t even look at me without glaring? Forced into some death match against a monster I’ve never met? Yeah, Kael, I feelsosafe.”

My jaw tightens, my patience fraying at the edges. “Youdon’t know what Rothgar is capable of. You don’t know the danger you’d be in if we let you go.”

“Then tell me!” she yells, her voice cracking slightly. “Stop keeping me in the dark, stop treating me like I’m some stupid human who can’t handle the truth. Why am I here, Kael? Why won’t you let me go?”

“Because you’re mine,” I growl, the words slipping out before I can stop them. “You’re bound to me now. And whether you like it or not, that makes you part of this.”

Her breath catches, and I see the flicker of something in her eyes—anger, confusion, maybe even fear. But she doesn’t back down. “I didn’t choose this,” she says quietly, but there’s a steel edge to her voice. “You did.”

The truth of her words cuts deeper than I want to admit, and for a moment, all I can do is stare at her, the fire in her eyes meeting the storm in mine. Then she lifts her wrist again, the binding mark shimmering faintly. “You can feel everything I do, right? Through this... whatever it is?”

Her tone is sharp, biting, but there’s something else beneath it—something raw and vulnerable that twists inside me. She doesn’t wait for me to answer. “So, you already know I don’t regret what we did.”

My jaw tightens, my control fraying. “Stay away from Torin,” I say sharply, my voice like a whip cracking through the room.

Her eyebrows lift, and then she smirks, her lips curving into something infuriatingly smug. “Why? Are you jealous,Alpha?”

I glare at her, stepping closer. “Don’t push me, little huntress.”

She shrugs, her tone light and mocking. “I can’t feel much through this binding, but I can feelthat. You’re jealous.”

The word slams into me like a punch to the gut, and I feelmy restraint unraveling. I close the distance between us in three strides, my hands braced on the bed as I cage her beneath me. My breathing is heavy, ragged, as I stare down at her, and she doesn’t know it, but she’s arching into me, her body betraying her just as much as mine is betraying me.

“You have no idea what you’re playing with,” I growl, my voice low and dangerous.

Her chest rises and falls quickly, her breath hitching, and I feel it—the pull of her desire through the binding, just as potent as my own. It fans the fire inside me until I can’t think straight, can’t focus on anything but her.

The clothing I created for her dissolves in an instant, melting away like it was never there. She gasps, her eyes wide, and I let my hands trail down her sides, slow and deliberate, caressing the bare skin I’ve been trying so hard to ignore.

“Where did he touch you?” I murmur, my voice dark and possessive. My fingers trace patterns over her hips, her thighs, her stomach. “Tell me, little huntress. Because I’m going to make damn sure I’m the last one to touch you there.”

Her breath shudders, but she glares up at me, defiant even now. “Torin touched all of me,” she says, her voice a challenge. “And I touched all of him.”

My vision tunnels, my focus narrowing to nothing but her and the words she’s just spoken. My grip tightens on her hips, my body pressing hers into the mattress as I lower my face to hers. “Is that right?” I growl, my tone rough and edged with something feral.

Her breathing quickens, her pulse fluttering against my skin. I lean in closer, my lips brushing her ear as I speak, each word deliberate and heavy.

“Then let me make one thing clear,” I say, my voice a dark promise. “Whatever he did to you, whatever you let him have, it’s nothing compared to what’s mine. And you, little huntress,are mine.”

Chapter

Twenty-Three

SABLE

Itremble as Kael's intense gaze bores into me, demanding the truth about my encounters with his twisted brother. His hand grips my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. "Tell me everything," he growls, his voice low and menacing.

I swallow hard, trying to compose myself. "He...he used me as a plaything. Touched me everywhere..." My words trail off as I relive the pleasure just moments ago. Kael's fingers tighten on my jaw, urging me to continue.

"He fondled my breasts, tweaking my nipples until they ached." I close my eyes, reveling in the sensation. "And between my legs, he devoured me like a starving man. Licked and sucked until I was dripping wet."

Kael's breath hitches, but he doesn't release me. "Go on," he commands, his tone rough with barely contained desire.

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